City employees remove knit 'sweaters' from parking meters after complaints

Sean Flynn Daily News staff writer

Friday

Apr 27, 2018 at 4:05 PMApr 27, 2018 at 6:33 PM

NEWPORT — A group of volunteers got together on Saturday to sew lime green knitted “sweaters” around the poles of 70 parking meters on Washington Square and Thames Street to increase awareness of Lyme disease.

Elizabeth Carrier of Newport, the local coordinator of the “Yarnbomb for Lyme!” action, made sure each of the volunteers carried a copy of a letter from the city approving the action.

Carrier said she reviewed with Patrick Segerson, the city's transportation supervisor for Parking Fund and parking meter enforcement, which meters would be dressed with the knitwear. The fabric does not interfere with operation of the parking meter.

But on Thursday, the Police Department started cutting off the "sweaters" and removing them from 17 meters in a destructive way, according to Carrier.

She said she received a call from Segerson about what was happening and rushed down to carefully remove the knitwear by cutting the thread along the seam from six meters that weren't yet touched. A total of 23 meters on Washington Square were attached with the sweaters.

The knitted pole sweaters removed by city employees were largely destroyed, as well as the tags attached to them, Carrier said.

"They are no longer usable," Carrier said.

When she obtained the city approval, she said she referred to "lower Broadway," thinking Broadway extended all the way to Thames Street. Broadway does not have any parking meters. Washington Square was named in the approval letter.

The 47 meters on Thames Street were untouched.

"It's just a shame," Carrier said. "They were not hurting anybody. We have received great feedback from residents and visitors. We had a tag attached to each of the poles."

There are 25 different tags, about the size of a luggage tag, each with a different Lyme disease fact or prevention tip.

Carrier has been in and out of treatment for Lyme Disease for 20 years because it was not initially diagnosed.

"We are trying to spread awareness in a non-political way, but then the politicians get involved," she said.

City Manager Joseph J. Nicholson Jr. said he ordered the knitwear removed from the meter poles after receiving complaints from a "historic preservation organization," council members, business owners and residents. He did not identify which organization or anyone else who made the complaints.

City Council Vice Chairman Lynn Underwood Ceglie said she received complaints because Washington Square is in a historic district, there is a symposium being hosted in the city this week, and the Lyme Yarnbombs did not have approval for the Washington Square meters.

"It's a misunderstanding, but they did not have approval for Washington Square," Ceglie said. "The council would never have approved them in an historic district."

Nicholson and Ceglie said they were told all the sweaters were carefully removed.

"If that's not the case, I will personally reimburse them," Nicholson said. "I don't want anyone who comes to the city to feel slighted."

"All the yarnbombs will be removed on May 18 or May 19," Carrier said. "We received approval for four weeks."

Marian Eastman of Wilmington, Delaware, is the founder of the nonprofit organization, Lyme Yarnbombs Inc.

In the different cities that allow the action, volunteers hand knit and crochet the parking meter sweaters and then they, or other volunteers, sew them around the poles, Eastman has explained.

The tags on the poles say things like: “Fewer than 50 percent of patients with Lyme disease recall a tick bite,” “Early diagnosis and proper treatment are key to preventing chronic persistent infection,” “Use a spray containing permethrin (when outdoors) to treat clothes and shoes,” “Lyme disease has been found in all 50 states and 80 countries” and “Over 300,000 people (worldwide) will be diagnosed with Lyme disease each year.”

All these facts and tips come from the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, Eastman has said.

Chronic Lyme disease is primarily transmitted through the bite of a tick. Although it can be treated effectively in its early stage, the stage can be missed if people are unaware of its signs or lacking diagnostic tests. Early treatment is a key to preventing chronic development of the disease.

“Our goal is to help others recognize signs, symptoms and the importance of prevention,” Eastman said. “When we Yarnbomb for Lyme, our goal is to create a fun atmosphere in the town and also to educate the public. A parking meter wearing a sweater often leaves people with a smile.”

But in Newport, that apparently doesn't include everybody.

"I'm not surprised," Carrier said.

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